The Calumet Heritage Partnership is a diverse, bi-state
partnership of environmental, cultural and historical organizations and
individuals, libraries, educational institutions, municipalities, and governmental
agencies. Each partner is committed to celebrating, preserving and
protecting the unique heritage of the Calumet region.

Mission
To identify, preserve, protect and reclaim the natural, historical, cultural
and recreational heritage of the Calumet region of Illinois and Indiana
for the purposes of educating and inspiring the public, restoring regional
pride, and revitalizing our communities and their interconnectedness.

Calumet Industrial Heritage Project

Calumet
Industrial Heritage Project at the Pullman State
Historic site:

- Catalog items which have been rescued from
the Acme Coke Plant and Acme Furnace Plant. - Complete
acquisition and transportation of large pieces
of steel industry
equipment to Pullman site.

Acme Coke Plant

Photo by Rod Sellers

Hegewisch Marsh, future site
of the
Ford Calumet Environmental
Center

Photo by Aaron Rosinski

The equipment and artifacts at the
Pullman site are the last historic
remnants of Chicago s and especially the
Calumet area's steel-making industry. This is
perhaps the last opportunity to save these
historical items and make them accessible to
the public.

The site has great significance to the
organized labor movement. The historic town
of Pullman was the site of the 1894
Pullman Strike. Two miles east of the Pullman
site is the site of the 1937
Memorial Day Massacre at the
Republic Steel Plant. Both of these events
were of major significance in American labor
history.

The site's proximity to the Lake
Calumet wetlands has created an
opportunity to understand the contrasting land
uses in the region. The site highlights the
juxtaposition of industry, community and
nature;

The historic site is located a few miles
northwest of the future site of the
Ford Calumet Environmental Center,
predicted to bring 100,000 visitors per year
to the area to learn about the industrial,
social, and ecological his tory of the region.

A strong case for economic growth through
cultural and heritage tourism can be made in
light of the planned extension of the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor
into the Calumet region. The Calumet
Industrial Heritage Project represents the
only project interpreting the history of steel
making in the Calumet region.

Industrial Heritage Archives of the Calumet
Region: The Pullman State Historic Site,
the Calumet Heritage Partnership and the
Southeast Chicago Historical Society have
partnered to create an on-line archive of
photos and other materials related to
industries that operated in Chicago's Clumet
Region. CHP's portion of the archives includes
a trove of materials that tell the story of
work and technology at Acme, especially at the
Coke plant. Policy on Archives Use and Access:
The CHP archives is a private archives and a
restricted collection. Users should know that
access is by appointment and contingent on
volunteer availability.

If you'd like to help with the Partnership's
efforts, send your check to:Calumet Heritage
Partnership, 13300 S, Baltimore, Chicago, Il
60633 or click on the donate button below.